Journey Insurance – cover for Staff Association members

So when things go wrong with work – be it through accident, illness or injury – people should be looked after.

Did you know that you are not covered by workers’ compensation during travel to and from the workplace?

Unless you are a Staff Association member, that is.

What happened?

In 2007, the then Howard Government cut workers’ compensation coverage for Federal Government workers – including CSIRO, AAO & NMI employees – by changing the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. These changes removed workers’ compensation protections for travel and rest breaks.

Staff Association members are protected

The Staff Association believes that your journey to and from work should be protected, as it relates to your employment with CSIRO, AAO or NMI. So since 2007, free journey insurance, or income protection insurance, has been provided to Staff Association/CPSU members.

If you have an accident and are seriously injured on your journey to or from the workplace and don’t have enough sick leave credits to cover time off work, the income protection insurance kicks in. However this protection is only available to union members.

Recess cover reinstated

Following a campaign involving the CPSU and other unions, the Gillard Government restored workers’ compensation for rest/recess/meal breaks spent outside of the workplace. We will continue to keep the pressure on the Government to fully restore all workers’ compensation protections. In the meantime, the Staff Association will ensure our members are protected with journey insurance.